Zaha’s Heydar Aliyev Centre crowned 2014 Design of Year

Zaha Hadid Architects’ Heydar Aliyev Centre in Baku has scooped this year’s Design of the Year Award - the first architectural project to have ever won the prestigious accolade

The victory means Hadid is both the first woman and the first architect to win the award since it launched in 2008.

The centre in Baku, which opened in November 2013, was described by judges as a ‘pinnacle moment’ in the work of Hadid’s practice.

Piers Gough, who sat on the judging panel, described the scheme as an ‘intoxicatingly beautiful building by the most brilliant architect at the height of her office’s powers’.

He added: ‘It’s swooning fluid on the outside and inside, belieing its size and complexity. The thousand and one geometrical junctions are consummately mastered and segue seamlessly into each other. Sitting atop a swooping zigzag landscape that would be a winner even without the building, It is as pure and sexy as Marilyn’s blown skirt. Without an ounce of awkward argumentative modernism in its bones. It rather reads like a sweet love letter to Zaha’s homelands.’

Jury member Kim Colin, of Industrial Facility added: ‘A great architect needs a great client, technology, the public, the landscape and the right time. The jury felt that for Zaha’s office, this is a pinnacle moment in their portfolio, a sign of international maturity. The jury argued heatedly for and against, and then we finally agreed unanimously that the project deserves our utmost respect. This architecture should make us talk for years to come.’

Commenting on the building, Hadid said: ‘The surface of the Heydar Aliyev Centre’s external plaza rises and folds to define a sequence of public event spaces within; welcoming, embracing and directing visitors throughout the building. It’s an architectural landscape where concepts of seamless spatial flow are made real – creating a whole new kind of civic space for the city.’

Controversially the 21,000m² centre was named after former president Heydar Aliyev - a former KGB boss accused of human rights abuses by Amnesty International. During the design process Hadid was criticised for putting flowers on his grave.

Previous winners of the award, which is open to all aspects of design including architecture, digital design, fashion, furniture, graphics, product design and transport, have included the London 2012 Olympic Torch, the Plumen lightbulb, and the government’s revamp of its website.

Awards judge Piers Gough of CZWG Architects described the scheme as ‘an intoxicatingly beautiful building by the most brilliant architect at the height of her office’s powers’.

He added: ‘It’s swooning fluid on the outside and inside, belieing its size and complexity. The thousand and one geometrical junctions are consummately mastered and segue seamlessly into each other. Sitting atop a swooping zigzag landscape that would be a winner even without the building. It is as pure and sexy as Marilyn’s blown skirt. Without an ounce of awkward argumentative modernism in its bones. It rather reads like a sweet love letter to Zaha’s homelands.’

The architecture category is one of seven categories in the awards which also recognise digital, fashion, furniture, graphic, product and transport design. The winners of each category are now competing for the overall Design of the Year Award which will be announced at the end of June.

Last year the prestigious prize was picked up by the redesign of the UK government website – GOV.UK

All of the shortlisted designs are on display at the Design Museum until August 25.

Previous story (AJ 11.02.14)

Hadid, Brooks, and Chipperfield buildings in running for Design of the Year

Just two UK schemes have made the shortlist in the architectural category for the Design Museum’s 2014 Design of the Year Award

Alison Brooks’ Stirling Prize-shortlisted Newhall Be housing scheme in Essex was named among the finalists alongside the only other UK scheme, namely 6a Architect’s façade for Paul Smith’s store in Mayfair London.

Zaha Hadid Architects, David Chipperfield Architects and John Pawson also made the shortlist with buildings in Azerbijan, Mexico and Germany respectively

The architecture category is one of seven categories in the awards which also recognise digital, fashion, furniture, graphic, product and transport design.

All of the shortlisted designs will go on display at the Design Museum from March 26 to August 25. Judges will choose a winner from each category and one overall winner, to be announced later in the year.

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